James is 17 and is pretty sure he is a psychopath. Alyssa, also 17, is the cool and moody new girl at school. The pair make a connection and she persuades him to embark on a road trip in search of her real father.
The thing that "The End of the F***ing World" smartly does is never let you forget that Jim and Alyssa are like wild animals you think you have tamed, at any moment they might turn on you and bite.
The End of the F***ing World is a wonderfully executed dark comedy featuring dynamic performances from Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden. It's great to see Netflix importing more terrific series from across the pond.
The title tells us pretty clearly that this show won't have a happy ending. But even in its tragic moments, there are still glimmers of loveliness in The End of the F***ing World. You just have to be patient, and watch closely, to fully see them.
What this one season accomplishes is something truly impressive: an ironic romance that blossoms into a real one without ever feeling like a betrayal of its authentic, misanthropic self.